GFX Upgrade Question

LucidityComplex · Oct 5, 2015

I'm really new to this. I've been PC gaming for over a decade now, but always bought stock PCs from Gateway and Best Buy (Boo, I know). I'm trying to make the transition to upgrade (or at least start adding on) my PC. However, the reason why I never did was because I was worried I was going to fuck up somehow and end up buying the wrong thing. So I have my PC Build and I want to make sure it's the right decision to make the GFX Upgrade I want

RIG:

CPU:Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770 CPU @ 3.40GHz (Quad-Core)
Video: NVIDIA GT 630, 4GB
RAM: 16GB
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
PSU: AcBel HBA008-ZA1GT 350

I'm looking at a GTX980TI (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125787)
but I believe my PSU isn't powerful enough.

Question: What do I need to look into when buying a video card, as far as requirements go? Is it just PCI Compatibility and PSU Power? Or is it more complicated than that?

And with my current system, can I use this card? If not, what would I need to buy in order for it to function how it should?

According to the specs on newegg for this product, "System power supply requirement: 600W (with two 8-pin external power connectors)"

Do I just basically buy any +600w with dual 8pin epcs? What's a recommended PSU for a GTX980TI? Is it at all necessary to go above 600w?

Edit: I'm mainly looking to play WoW max graphics, Skyrim w/ ENB, Diablo III, and eventually Fallout 4 with an ENB and with smooth framerates

RobCrezz · Oct 5, 2015

Apart from your PSU and video card you have nice pc.

When choosing a video card, you just need to make sure the PSU is sufficent and of good quality (google for the PSU tier list).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card ($634.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX TS 650W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $709.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-05 06:26 EDT-0400

The 980 ti is an amazing card, going from the gt 630 would be going from a old Lada to a Ferrari.

RobCrezz · Oct 5, 2015

heres the PSU tier list, tier 1 or 2 is recommended

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

bicycle_repair_man · Oct 5, 2015

When it comes to buying a graphics card, the best thing to do is check gaming benchmarks. The GTX 980 Ti is a popular card so finding benchmarks shouldn't be difficult. Simply comparing raw power (ROPs, texture rate, etc.) doesn't tell the entire story, as driver optimisation plays a big part.

An OEM GTX 980 Ti has a 250W TDP, which should mean that the card draws no more than 250W, although this isn't entirely accurate. A good quality 600W PSU will suit your build just fine and Tom's has a PSU tier list at http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html. I personally recommend XFX.

LucidityComplex · Oct 5, 2015

RobCrezz :

Thank you for your reply. I will chose those two.

And yeah, haha. It's going to be a good feeling replacing my 630 and looking at the difference in framerate

RobCrezz · Oct 5, 2015

Good luck. I would suggest getting a 1440p monitor also to make the most of the 980 ti, 1080p is a walk in the park for the 980 ti.

bicycle_repair_man · Oct 5, 2015

Good choice, and yes, a 2560x1440 monitor will really make the card shine.

LucidityComplex · Oct 5, 2015

My monitor is decent (E228-WFP). But I've been wanting an upgrade. Now's the perfect time.

Thanks for the quick replies from you two.

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